In the fields of cosmetics, drugs, quasi drugs, foods, etc., there are many compositions containing water as a base. Such aqueous compositions are often stored in closed containers to prevent evaporation of water from the compositions. However, water may be gradually evaporated from aqueous compositions due to the reasons such as opening of a lid in daily use, resulting in a change of physical properties and color. In spray containers, pump containers and the like, the discharged content remains at the discharge opening and is dried near the discharge opening, and thus the content adhered to the discharge opening results in a change of color and odor, which makes a feeling upon use worsened, disadvantageously. Further, the content is dried and solidified, causes clogging, and cannot be discharged in some cases, disadvantageously.
In order to suppress such solidification of the content and prevent such clogging of the discharge containers, it has been proposed to blend a non-volatile liquid oil with one or more selected from a substances that are solid at 25° C. or less and/or a coating-forming polymer, at a specific ratio (see Patent Document 1). However, a large amount of the non-volatile oil is necessarily blended in order to suppress solidification of the content, which limits possible formulations. Even if the non-volatile oil is added at a specific ratio, the content is solidified and clogging is not sufficiently prevented.
On the other hand, it has been proposed to improve long-term stability of an emulsion containing a high concentration of alcohol by blending polyoxyethylene behenyl ether having an average number of ethylene oxide added of 5 or more into the emulsion composition (see Patent Documents 2 and 3). Such a method, however, intends to prevent decreases in hardness and viscosity of the emulsion, and effects on water are not known at all.